Update: ‘That 70’s Show’ Actor Danny Masterson Receives 30-Year to Life Sentence for Rape
LOS ANGELES, September 8, 2023 – Actor Danny Masterson, known for his role in “That ’70s Show,” has been sentenced
Nik Richie
LOS ANGELES, September 8, 2023 – Actor Danny Masterson, known for his role in “That ’70s Show,” has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women. These women have accused the Church of Scientology of protecting Masterson and trying to silence them.
Masterson, a 47-year-old actor and prominent Scientologist, who starred in the popular retro TV comedy for eight seasons until 2006, was found guilty in May during a second trial. The jury could not reach a verdict on a charge that he raped a third woman.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo of Los Angeles Superior Court handed down the maximum sentence allowed by law. Masterson, who has been incarcerated since his conviction, will be eligible for parole in 25 and a half years.
This case gained widespread attention because Masterson had met the victims through the Church of Scientology, and they alleged that the organization discouraged them from reporting the crimes to law enforcement.
The Church of Scientology has denied these allegations, asserting that Masterson’s religious beliefs should not have been a factor in the case, labeling it “an unprecedented violation of the First Amendment.”
Prosecutors based their case partly on Scientology and “fabrications about the Church to introduce prejudice and inflame bigotry,” according to the organization’s statement following the sentencing.
During the victim impact statements given by the women, Masterson, seated near his wife, actor Bijou Phillips, and his brother, “Malcolm in the Middle” actor Christopher Masterson, displayed little reaction. Although he was given the opportunity to speak, Masterson chose not to do so.